Through the Fire and the Flames
by Hope Like Autumn
Summary: He dreams of a world where we are not hidden, we do not have to live in secret. Where we have all the power, all the authority. A world ruled solely by our kind, under his leadership." Kate&Garrett, Marcus&Gianna, post BD. CHAPTER 7 "MARCUS" UP NOW.
1. Prologue

**A/N **

**Disclaimer: Twilight is owned by the insanely wonderful Stephenie Meyer.**

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I stood there, in the black. I'm not sure how long it was, but it felt like decades. I could not hear. I could not feel.

_Is this what my mother felt before...?_

I was utterly alone. And in hindsight, I'm thankful for that. I couldn't bear it if he suffered with me.

I wondered what would be next. Would the flames consume me and I would cease to exist? Would the death that I had cheated for so long finally consume me?  
Or, like Carlise had said, would God show some sort of mercy upon me?

I couldn't answer any of these things. All I knew was that I didn't want to be in a state lacking him.

As the blackness started to fade, I felt I was being swept away by another form of torture. As the fire started to seep into my being, my lips softly formed one word.

"Garrett."

Anything else was drowned out by my screams.


	2. Departures

**A/N**

**Disclaimer: Twilight is owned by the wonderfull Stephenie Meyer**

**Read and Review, please! Constructive Critisicm is welcomed!**

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"Are you sure you want to come?"

Garrett sighed. "No, Katherine, I'd rather just spend a few more centuries roaming around the country." Although I knew he was kidding, I still felt my mood darken.  
"Of course I'm coming, Kate."

"But you'll have to be..vegetarian." After 200 or so years of knowing only human blood, I wasn't sure that his instincts could be thwarted.

He laughed. "Animals aren't so bad. Besides," He stepped closer to me. "I said I'd follow you to the ends of the earth, and I intend to make good on that."

I turned away from the bags I was loading into the Range Rover. "Your funeral."

"Was back in 1773." He smiled.

I couldn't resist that grin. I smiled right back as I closed the trunk. "I'm sure Tanya will have something to say about this." I started up the narrow path that led from the garage to the Cullen's house, barely hearing Garrett's soft footfalls behind me, tracing my path perfectly.

"You know," he started, "I could get awfully used to this arrangement." He reached for my hand. At the exact moment he grasped it, I released a tiny wave of electricity. Not enough to hurt him,  
but just enough to shock him.

"Ouch." He laughed, but did not release my hand. I sighed. I had to admit, I could get pretty used to this, too, but knowing Tanya..

Before I had time to ponder this, we were at the house. I walked into the large dining room with it's sturdy oak table, around which my sister sat, holding little Renesmee one final time. Her parents, Edward and Bella, sat watching lovingly. I felt a little twinge of pain, not only from leaving the only family I had besides my coven, but also from seeing the family I would never have. Garrett felt me tense up some, and lightly squeezed my hand as Edward looked up at me. He must've been reading my thoughts. I rolled my eyes at him.

"So," I started. "It looks like we have a tag along." Tanya looked from me to Garrett, smiled and nodded. Edward looked at us with a smug smile on his face. _Ugh._ _Mind reader._ He grinned at me as I stuck out my tongue, feeling awfully childish.

"That's fine, then?" I didn't know what else to do.

"Mmhmm," Tanya answered from where she sat with the child.

"Well, then, the car is loaded. We can go whenever."

Tanya got up and gave the girl to her father. Bella came over to me, extending her arms out.

Her words were the faintest whisper. "He loves you."

I pulled out of the hug and looked from her to Garrett. She nodded.

"How?" I asked. She mouthed the word. Edward, eh? I'd have to thank that little mind reader.

Alice came bounding over to me next, her tiny frame extending up for a firm hug and a light kiss on the cheek. I laughed. "Love ya, too, Alice. Come visit soon, okay?"

She smiled at me. "We'll have a reason soon enough," she said with a wink. Ugh. It was amazing how someone so tiny could be so immensely frustrating. But I didn't have time to be mad, as Jasper, Esme, Rosalie came next.

Emmett came and lifted me off the ground. "Haha, still so tiny, little cuz."

I laughed. "Not too tiny to beat your sorry butt at arm wrestling."

He looked at me, eyes wide.. "I thought you promised to never bring that up! You cheated, anyway."

"You never could stand losing, and to a girl, at that."

"Whatever."

I giggled. "Love ya, too!"

Carlise came over and hugged me as he shook Garrett's hand. He smiled. "It's good to see a new addition to our large family. I trust that you'll see the benefit of this lifestyle, although I will be the first to admit that it's not as easy as it seems."

Garrett stood firmly. "I'm ready for anything."

I smiled at him as he wrapped his arm around me. "Let's hope so."

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**So that chapter was kind of short/boring, but I'll try to get into things more in the next. **

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	3. Denali

**A/N**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the insanely wonderful Stephenie Meyer.**

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We arrived home shortly, mainly due to Eleazar's speeding throughout the northern part of British Columbia and the Yukon. Of course, I'm sure the man sitting next to me helped ease those 2,000 miles some. But, nevertheless, we were home. As we stepped out of the car, Garrett's red-orange eyes brightened.

"Dear Katherine, may I have the pleasure of your wonderful company on a walk? I'm not exactly from around here, if you do remember. I'd hate to get lost." He'd taken on a pleading tone.

I rolled my eyes and smiled up at him, before turning to Tanya. She nodded. "Alright," I said, and took his hand.

I lead him through the woods, at a leisurely pace, hoping to glean some more information from him. "So, Garrett, what would make you want to come all the way up here with four people that you've only known for a few months?"

He smiled that heart melting grin of his. "Well, Katie, it-"

I cut him off. "Katie?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

He looked at me. "Not a Katie, I take it. Anyway, _Kate_," he emphasized my name. "It's not everyday that one comes across someone like you. And trust me, I've been looking for a long time."

I looked away for a moment, sure that had I still been human my cheeks would've flushed bright red. _What's so special about me?_ I thought. What good deed had I accomplished to be rewarded in this way? I looked out at our surroundings.

We were on the bank of a small stream. I remembered it well. Irina used to spend hours here, writing and drawing and singing. I crumpled to the ground at the memory of my sister, the grief finally settling in. My sister, the one I'd played with during our human years, the one that I could talk to about anything, who I'd watched fall in love and have her heart broken, was gone.

I was so overcome by the pain that I didn't notice Garrett sit beside me, holding me gently. He started singing something softly. I only managed to catch a few words.

_"I'm always here when you're tired of running _

_I'm all the strength that you need."_

I was caught off guard by both the words and the magnificent voice that had uttered them. When Garrett saw how I was looking at him, he stopped singing.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I just-"

I silenced him with a finger to his lips. "No. Sing it again." He obliged.

And so we sat there like that for who knows how long. Garrett's voice drowned out all my worries and fears as he softly sang the lyrics into my ear, holding me tight. It felt as if nothing could ever make me leave this man.

Garrett finished the song, and lightly kissed my temple.

"I love you, Katherine."

It was just a whisper of something he had shown to be true from the moment I laid eyes on him.

In that moment, I realized that I had finally found what I was looking for all these years. Every century before him no longer meant anything to me. The only thing that mattered was him.

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**There it is! I know I promised that some stuff would happen, but I needed another developing chapter. I promise, I'll get into the plot in the next chapter. Something big will happen!**

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	4. Questions

**A/N**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the insanely wonderful Stephenie Meyer.**

**So, I promised stuff would happen..and it did.**

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Life went on like this for a good while. And I was very pleased with it all. Life with Garrett was simply beautiful.  
I didn't think anything could shake it. At least, not until we had our little visit.

It was May, and beautiful in Alaska. Springtime was always my favorite season. Something about the way that the flowers escaped from the wintry cold, reborn in the sunshine, reflected my state of mind.

Garrett and I were coming home from a hunting trip, when I heard a car, headed up the long drive. I felt Garrett's body tense up as I strained to listen closely. _A woman, and a man. Not human.. Something about the Volturi._ Then.._was that a giggle?_ I smiled. I'd recognize that anywhere.

"It's Alice!"

As we made our way to the house, the voices became clearer. She had brought Jasper with her. I was happy that she had decided to make a visit, but I wondered what would make her come without calling. A vision, maybe? Had something happened with Renesmee? Finally we arrived home.

Alice rushed over to us the moment we walked through the door. "Hi, Alice!" I said, giving her a hug. "Hey, Jazz! What brings you two here?"

"That is what we are all waiting to hear," Carmen softly said. I walked into the living room where the rest of my family sat. Garrett and I took a seat on the large couch that was mainly there for aesthetic purposes, inviting the couple to join us.

Alice daintily sat on my other side, full of energy, as always. "I'm so sorry we didn't call first, but it just came up so suddenly! I was just looking at the wed-"

Jasper cut her off. "Um, Alice, dear, maybe we should just _skip_ to what you _saw_."

"Oh. Right. Well, I was looking at some.. _events,_ in the future, when I saw some of the Guard headed this way. They're probably just on their way to Forks to check on us again, but I thought I'd give you all a heads up just in case." She eyed me nervously.

Jasper spoke up. "They really are just probably headed for us. Alice can't see where they're going though.. I think they just want to keep us on our toes." I immediatly felt a sense of calm wash over me, and saw relief on all the other faces. Jasper.  
I smirked, in spite of everything.

"If that's the case, then maybe we should return to Forks with you," Tanya said.

"Yes," Eleazar agreed. "We abandoned you in your time of need once before; we will not make the same mistake twice."

"Oh, no, I really don't think it's nec-"

Alice was cut off once again, this time by Carmen. "It's settled. We are going to Washington, whether you deem it necessary or not."

Alice sighed. Jasper smiled. "I'm sure Carlisle will be happy. He quite enjoyed your company before. Esme and Nessie, as well."

"How much time do we have?" Garrett asked. I felt his arm tighten around my shoulders protectively. Of course, if they were coming here, it would either be for me or Eleazar, and since they had let him go without a fight, it was most likely me.

Alice closed her eyes. She was still for one enduring moment. "Not very long. Two days at the most."

"We should probably leave soon, if that's the case." Tanya looked excited. She was most likely ecstatic at the opportunity to avenge Irina's death.

I spoke up next. "But what if they should come here for something completely unrelated and they find the house empty? We can't risk provoking them."

Alice looked at us, then turned to Jasper. "She is right. The Volturi are still angry regarding their defeat back in Forks. Caius will surely use anything to his advantage." She turned back to me and Garrett. "You two should stay here. When Chelsea and Felix decide where they are headed, I will call you. It's probably us. Besides," she looked at Garrett with some strange glint in her eyes, "I think you two have more important decisions to make." They left that night.

We were watching television to pass the time until daylight, when Garrett suddenly looked at his watch and hastily pulled me up from the couch.

"Garrett? What's going on? Where are you taking me?"

He looked back at me with a smile as we made our way through the door and into the woods. "You'll see."

We ran through the forest haphazardly, like there was some grand event that we were going to miss. Finally, we reached our destination. The stream.

"Look," Garrett said, pointing up to the sky.

It was more beautiful than anything any artist could've come up with. Every color in every hue imaginable was scattered across the scene, with pink and orange taking center stage. I was so enthralled by the sight, that I failed to notice Garrett going down on one knee before me.

"Katherine Elizabeth De Sandt," he began. "I am hopelessly and utterly in love with you, and I want to spend the rest of eternity with you.  
Kate," his voice faltered. "Will you marry me?"

I was completely taken by surprise. I couldn't believe it! I was out of my mind with joy. But my words rang clear as I spoke them aloud.  
"Garrett Harsin, I couldn't imagine any other way to go on."

And in the joy of that moment, the Volturi were completely purged from my mind. How unfortunate for me.

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**Haha, how's that for a cliff hanger?**

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	5. Phone Calls

**A/N**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the insanely wonderful Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing**

**Read and review!**

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Although that day was filled with blissful happiness, I knew at one point I would have to call my sister. I knew she wouldn't be happy at my news, especially seeing as how we would no longer be the two legendary succubi. But, alas, I couldn't just hide it from her, and the time came to make that dreaded phone call.

I picked up the phone and dialed the familiar numbers. "Hello?" came the response on the other end.

"Tanya?"

"Kate! We've been waiting for you to call! I'm so excited! Here, Alice wants to talk to you."

"Wait! Tanya, I'm getting married."

She laughed softly. "I know that already, Kate. Now here, Alice says it's important."

Already knew? What? How? Oh.. Alice. I rolled my eyes as the pixie-like vampire received the phone from my sister.

"Kate! Okay, so we only have until December, so I was thinking that we could go with that whole winter white scheme.  
I envision you as a snowflake queen, kind of like the girl from Candyland, and of course Garrett-"

I interupped as she took a breath. "Wait, Alice, what are you talking about? Are you trying to plan my wedding?"

Alice giggled. "Of course not, silly. I've already planned it all. Now, Vera Wang takes 6 months for originals, but since I put you on the waiting list back in February, it shouldn't be a problem. I think she suits you well, and for Garrett, well, nothing says eternal commitment like Armani!"

I rolled my eyes at Garrett, who was sitting across from me. He smirked as Alice went on and on with wedding plans. Finally she let me go. She and Jasper had to babysit little Nessie.

As I placed the phone back in the cradle, Garrett smiled up at me. "So, December, eh?"

I smiled back. "Why, were you hoping for something in the more recent future?"

"Just slightly. But December is fine. Actually my parents were married in December."

"As were mine. The 12th to be exact."

Garrett's smile brightened. "Mine were the 14th. You know, we could be the 13th, just right in the middle of them."

I responded with a kiss upon his lips. "I love you."

He smiled while breaking the kiss. "Where are your keys?"

I laughed inside at the way he could change subjects so quickly. "In the drawer on the right."

He quickly retrieved my keys and lead me to the garage. I could see the shock in his eyes as the button unlocked an electric blue Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.

I looked up at him as we made our way to the car. "What can I say? I have a need for speed. Besides, I like Italian."

"Better Italian than that stupid British car Edward insists on driving." He hopped into the driver's seat.

"Still holding a grudge, are we?" I asked playfully.

An eye roll was the only response I received. "So, how far do you suppose it is to Anchorage?"

I thought about it. "A good 300 miles, at least."

He grinned at me. "Perfect. We'll be back by midnight." And with that, he took off, never once stopping until we arrived at the Dimond Center.

"A mall?" I asked, stating the obvious.

"I didn't exactly have a ring for you this morning, Katherine." He shot me another one of his dazzling smiles as we exited my vehicle.

I noticed a girl staring at him as we walked through the parking lot and tightened my grip on his hand. "It doesn't matter to me. You don't have to get me a ring."

He chuckled. "But I want to. Just let me, Kate." His low tone sent chills down my spine, and I obliged.

We made our way through the shopping center, finally arriving at Zales. It didn't take me long to find the perfect ring. It was white gold, with one round diamond in the center, two slightly smaller diamonds on either side of it, and ten tiny diamonds encircling the band. Garrett noticed my gaze and I tried it on.

"It's perfect." I meant it in every way. Not just the sizing, but the style, the personality..it was just me. I slowly slipped it off my finger, looking at the word engraved underneath.

"Forever."

"This is the one." Garrett said to the salesman.

"Alright, just one moment and you can purchase it." The unsuspecting human went to the back room as my loving fiancИ wrapped his arms around me.  
He planted a kiss in my hair.

The man came back, and Garrett bought the ring. "Well, that was a short trip, now, wasn't it?" he asked as we walked out.

We were outside the mall now, beside a small fountain. "I guess I can do this the right way now." Garrett went down on one knee for the second time in one day. I was aware of people watching us. "Katherine, sweetheart, I love you more than words could ever say. If what Alice said is true, I don't want to spend another moment away from you. Will you marry me, Kate?"

He held the ring out to me. I felt my voice catch. "Yes, Garrett, one thousand times, yes," I whispered. He slid the cold ring onto my finger before standing up and kissing me. It was different than his other kisses. It had more of an urgency to it, as if he didn't know what the next few days would hold for us. I heard gasps from the people surrounding us and realized that we had gone longer than normal humans would've, so I broke the kiss.

"What'd ya do that for?" he asked with mock annoyance.

I laughed as we walked back to the car. "We were scaring the populace." I hopped into the driver's seat before he could protest and headed home.

As we made our way back to Denali, I noticed Garrett staring every time we passed a tattoo parlor. "I didn't know anything about your biker dreams."

He laughed. "I've just always wondered something." He pulled up part of his shirt, revealing a faint part of skin just lighter than the rest. "A knife. Extremely sharp." I gasped. "I'm fine. It happened a long time ago. But since then, I've wondered..could a needle pierce our skin?"

I turned around and headed for the parlor. "Only one way to find out," I smirked. "I've always wanted a tragus piercing."

The man working that day was your standard biker/tattoo parlor owner. Piercings everywhere, mullet, and tattoos covering every exposed area. So I felt relieved that someone with such...experience would be trying to penetrate vampire skin. Garrett went first. The man, named Tim, went through all of the paperwork with us, and then got to work on my betrothed's ear. He struggled for a good 10 minutes.

"Just put a little elbow grease into it," I suggested while lightly pushing him forward. The needle went through, and he quickly placed the small hoop into Garrett's ear. "Perfect," I said.

My tragus went a little faster, seeing as how Garrett had seen what I had done, and was a good deal stronger than me. I wasn't sure what to expect, but in the end all that I heard was a light scratching sound. Tim put the stud into my ear. We finished the paperwork and exited the business.

"So, what do you think the rejection rate for vampires is?" Garrett asked once we were safely in the car. I laughed.

Garrett had been right, we made it home exactly at midnight. Once we were in, he managed to find one of Eleazar's old guitars. We spent that night playing and singing, finding that our voices could blend and harmonize perfectly.

The next morning, we set out on a short hunting trip. The phone started to ring as I closed the door, but I simply ignored it. We set off for the national park.  
I snagged a couple of grizzlies, while Garrett went off in search of some black bears or mountain lions. Much more satisfying, or so he said. I probably shouldn't have been alone, but I didn't see the harm in just a few minutes.

I smelled them first. It was an odd smell, like Italian leather mixed with freesia, but it was one that I would recognize anywhere. They were coming for me.

"Garrett!" I screamed desperately. But it was all in vain. They were upon me by then. It was Chelsea and Felix.

"Hello, Kate," Chelsea smiled sweetly. "Aro will be very pleased to see you."

I forgot all about Garrett in that moment. I simply followed the two, with their blood red eyes. Little did I know that it would be my undoing.

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**Tada! Now we're starting to get into the real plot. **

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	6. In The Dark

**I'm so sorry it took so long to get this up!**

**My internet access has been restricted for the past couple of days.**

**I'll try to get back to writing more ASAP.**

**A special thanks to my honest reviewer. I didn't really notice that people were acting out of character except for Tanya, which I'd done on purpose.**

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Somewhere in my memory there must be how we arrived in Volterra. Some plane, boat,  
and car tucked away in my mind. But all I can really remember is Chelsea. It felt like she was my best friend, or even more than that. As if, given the chance, I would willingly surrender my immortality to save her. Of course, in the back of my mind, I knew that it was only her ability tying me to her, but it was much more...intense, than I had expected. It was as if our very souls were tied together.  
I simply followed her to the lions.

I can't remember anything after that, except for the dark. It wasn't the normal type of darkness, where you only felt a little chilled and somewhat scared. I was terrified of the waves of black that were constantly washing over me. My head was filled with thoughts of Irina, and my mother. And somewhere in this, Chelsea's influence left me. My thoughts centered around one name, one person.

"Garrett."

I felt a glimmer of relief as I uttered this name, a tiny sliver of hope. I didn't know who this Garrett was,  
or how he affected me, but the name was my shield, my sole source of comfort. But no matter how long I tried to free myself from the darkness, it was all in vain. Hours flowed into days, days into weeks, and yet I was still bound.

Memories flooded me, a single tune standing out from everything else. I didn't know what it meant. Visions of a man with long blond hair, and orange eyes. He was perfect. He was my everything. It was like Chelsea, except I knew that I had willingly chosen this thread. Deep down in my heart I knew that this was that man that I had spoken of before.

I stood there, in the black. I'm not sure how long it was, but it felt like decades. I could not hear. I could not feel.

_Is this what my mother felt before...?_

I was utterly alone. And in hindsight, I'm thankful for that. I couldn't bear it if he suffered with me.

I wondered what would be next. Would the flames consume me and I would cease to exist? Would the death that I had cheated for so long finally consume me?  
Or, like Carlise had said, would God show some sort of mercy upon me?

I couldn't answer any of these things. All I knew was that I didn't want to be in a state lacking him.

As the blackness started to fade, I felt I was being swept away by another form of torture. As the fire started to seep into my being, my lips softly formed one word.

"Garrett."

Anything else was drowned out by my screams.

The fire raced through my lifeless body, seething throughout every pore. It was as if barrel after barrel of gasoline had been thrown over me, and someone had finally lit the match. It was the kind of pain that you wanted to run from, but didn't waste energy trying. The flames would always win. My eyes were pressed shut, too terrified of the pain to view my oppressor. The burning had engulfed my entire being, my screams slowly dying out. The heat was incredible. I cried out one final time to a God who had failed to show pity on me before, begging him to rescue me from this torture, pleading with him, trying to atone for every wrong I had ever done, as long as he would save me. But there was no response. As the flames continued to overtake me, a thought crossed my mind.

_Why don't you just give up? There's no point in this fighting. You're going to die anyway._

No. I couldn't. I wouldn't. I gasped as the heat ran through me repeatedly, increasing in power with each pulse. I searched for breath, needing it for one final scream. The smoke felt thick and heavy upon me, and I started to choke. With my final ounce of energy, I uttered one syllable.

"No!" I screamed.

Then my world went black once again.

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	7. Gianna

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Alright I feel really bad again because I sort of abandoned this story, but from now on I will try to update once a week if I don't have too much cheerleading. I hope you like this chapter, I know it's one of my favorites already. The character of Gianna has always been an intriguing one to me, so I couldn't resist putting her in there. This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has favorited me and/or my story, and all of my fabulous reviewers!**

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I could smell her before I saw her, the vanilla scent of her blood calling to me, begging me to give in to my primival instincts and give up everything my sisters and I had worked for. I held my breath as she approached me, her heels clicking with every tentitive step.

"I'm supposed to kill you, aren't I?"

Gianna slid against the wall, her shoulders shaking. I could see the tears streaming down her face. She held her knees against her chest, rocking back and forth. I kept my distance, not wanting to frighten her any more. "I'm not going to, though. You know that, right?"

She nodded. "But just because you won't doesn't mean that they won't."

I shuddered. "They finally decided that you'd been around long enough, eh?"

The tears started coming more rapidly. "Marcus...I thought....how could he do this to me? How...how could he leave me?" she choked out between sobs.

So that was it. Marcus was the reason that she had survived for so long. Marcus was keeping her alive.

It was rather sick and twisted, I had to admit. But looking into her bright green eyes, I could sense the same passion that she felt for Marcus was the very same passion that indwelt Garrett and me. There was no difference in the love that flowed through our veins, ours dry and cold, hers warm and full.  
And that similarity was what caused me to feel the need to help her somehow. Console her. Something. Anything. The only person she had was gone. She needed someone.

I waited until she had calmed down somewhat. "Gianna? How did you end up here in the first place?" It was a question that had been nagging at me since the first time I saw her, 5 years ago.

Her bright eyes dimmed somewhat, as if she was trying to recall something from deep within her mind, something she had no need to remember. " I was 18," she began, her English clear and perfect, "and out in Venice, touring the area with some friends. It was late at night, and we were walking back to our hotel from a small cafe where we had gone for coffee, when we somehow ended up in some alley, dark and narrow. It looked like something out of a horror movie. I instantly wanted to go home. My friends all made fun of me. Gatto spaventato, scared cat, they called me." She laughed a dark, cold laugh. "Well look at how long it lasted me. They got my best friend first. Then her sister. They were coming for me, when all of a sudden, they stopped. The tallest one, his hair long and dark as night, called to me. 'Dove Х la vostra famiglia? Where is your family?' he asked me. I had none. He could see that I was all alone, with his ability. He offered me safety, a job, and possibly a family. I don't understand why, but I felt somehow drawn to him, like he was supposed to help me." She sighed. "He was my dark angel. Il mio cantante was what he always called me. His singer, just as Bella was for your Edward. He wanted to change me, for me to become immortal like him. You have no idea how much I longed for that as well. But Caius refused to allow me to become part of the guard. So we lived in secret, waiting for the day that we could escape."

I furrowed my brow. "But I don't understand. Why couldn't you just tell the brothers about how your blood sang to Marcus?"

She turned to face me, her eyes piercing mine. "They would kill me," she whispered. "We were going to find you, to go stay with your coven for a while, until it was safe and they would leave us in peace. You heard what happened to his wife, haven't you? That was Aro's own sister! What are the odds that he would let Marcus leave their family because of a stranger?" Her head tilted back against the wall. "We were going to leave three nights ago. But Marcus disappeared without me, and they've tossed me into this. They would be shocked if they knew I was still alive." She drawled off, clearly exhausted by whatever they had put her through before this.

I thought about everything she had said. Was it possible that Marcus had left her on purpose? Yes. Was it likely? No. I had seen the man centuries before when his love lived, and although seeing relationships was his gift, I also thought that he had been granted another. He loved very deeply. More deeply than Esme Cullen, or anyone else I'd ever met. He was not the type of person that would feign love, especially not after the grand depression he had sunken into after the death of Didyme. This love for Gianna was real, destined, and deep. Just as deep as the love I had for Garrett.

That night was the first vision I had of Garrett.

I had been overcome with a heaviness, a tired, sluggish feeling like one I had not encountered for centuries, and can barely remember from my human years.  
The cool, damp dungeon became my home. And then I saw him. He was standing by the large window on the second floor of our home, his skin glinting in the faint sunlight. His brow was furrowed, deep in thought, his expression cold and lifeless. Tanya walked over to him, placing a hand on his arm.

"I know my sister," she said. He turned and looked her in the eye. "She will find a way to come back to us, to return to you. No matter what, Kate will fight."

He sighed. "I still hate feeling like this, like there's something I'm supposed to be doing to help."

"Eleazar is doing all that he can to get her free and safe. The last thing we need is an irrational decision made by either of us. That's probably exactly what they want. If Caius really is using Kate to begin this war, then it is better for Eleazar, with his vast knowledge of the Volturi and all that they do,  
to be in Italy." She started to walk away, but lingered for a moment. "I hope they don't take another sister from me; Kate is all I have left."

"She's all I have left as well." Garrett, my Garrett, the love of my life, who, as soon as I could find some way to escape from this madness, would swear to love me for the rest of eternity, shrugged away from the window, sinking as a figure came into view outside. He sprang up and down to the door, opening it just as the man sprinted to the door.

"Eleazar, where is he?"

Garrett's eyes widened as he realized who the visitor was. "Um, he just left to go visit your family. Tanya?" he called upstairs. "It looks like we have a guest."

She sauntered down the steps, her eyes brightening, but not by much. "Why, hello, Marcus. What a nice surprise."


	8. Marcus

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to SM.**

**Alrighty, so I mapped out where I'm taking this story, and it's actually going to be a series. TFAF should be finished in about 3 weeks. We're almost halfway through the story. Oh, and btw, Garrett has a power ;)**

**I hope you enjoy it.**

**R&R**

* * *

Marcus walked into my house, his steps urgent, although floating. Tanya glanced behind him, her eyes searching. "Where's Gianna?" she asked. "I thought she was coming with you."

Marcus sighed before sinking down onto one of our chairs. "As did I. But things got...complicated. They did not go as planned."

Garrett shook his head in confusion. "Wait a minute. Tanya, you knew he was coming here? What are you doing here? And what's this about Gianna? Could someone please fill me in?"

Tanya smiled faintly. "I'm sorry, Garrett..I had been planning on telling you and Kate soon, but with all of the problems with Alice's visit and our trip to Forks, and what with Kate being in Italy, it slipped my mind.  
Marcus is going to be a new addition to our family, along with Gianna, if she is still coming.." she looked towards Marcus, question marks in her eyes.

He settled in, as if for a long, painful story. "We had be planning on leaving about two days ago, but four nights ago, I had been walking through our home on my way back from visiting with Gia, when I overheard a conversation in Caius's private quarters. He was speaking with his wife, Athenodora, about me of all subjects. You see, although I consider Caius to be my brother, and I love him as one, I do not trust him as I trust Aro. But Aro's judgement is clouded, and he cannot see how easily Caius would betray us, how soon he would overthrow us just to have more power. It is as if he feeds on power; it sustains him.  
And lately, his ideas about how to gain that power have not been so good. He would like to begin a great war, unlike one our kind has ever seen before. He dreams of a world where we are not hidden, we do not have to live in secret. Where we have all the power, all the authority. A world ruled solely by our kind, under his leadership. He was right to tell his wife that I would hinder their goals, I would stand in the way of what they wanted. A world ruled in fear would not be productive. It would be like it always being night, always being afraid. And Aro would never listen to Caius as long as I was around to do something about it. So they decided that they would kill me the next day. I needed to act urgently, and I did, leaving a letter for Gia, telling her simply to continue with everything as if I were still there. And I waited for her in Seattle.  
Her flight came in, but she was not on it. I believe that my brother has something to do with this. I feel that she is in danger. I need to go back. To find her. But first I needed to warn you all, to tell you that his plan does not just include danger for me, but for your family as well, and for the Cullens. Caius fears that the animal drinkers care far too much for human welfare, and that they too will hinder him."

Tanya stood up. "We will warn the Cullens of what danger lies ahead. My sister, Katrina, was taken away by two of your guard. I would be willing to accompany you to Volterra to rescue Gianna if it means rescuing Kate as well. I'm sure Garrett feels the same way."

Garrett's eyes focused when Tanya said my name. "Of course. Anything for Kate. I'm sure you feel the same way for Gianna."

"Yes, but where is Eleazar? I need his help. His knowledge of Caius is invaluable to me."

Tanya's voice lilted, her Russian accent slipped through. "He's already in Italy, trying to find my sister."

Marcus sighed in relief. "Well then, we must be on our way soon."

He asked Tanya something that I couldn't quite hear or understand. My vision was fading. I could hear something piercing my vampire ears, shrieking through them.

It was Gianna.

She was on the ground, her body convulsing sickly. I knew instantly who was causing her pain.

Jane.


End file.
